The Beit HaMikdash in Yehezkel

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Renewal of Relations
Haftarot: Emor
Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein
The haftara in Ezekiel discusses halakhic details of the work of the kohanim in the Temple. Some of the halakhot that relate to the High Priest in the Torah are described by Ezekiel as relating to all priests. This might be perceived as a consolation for the nation's fear that their relationship with God will never return to the way it used to be. Ezekiel's description indicates that the kedusha in the third Temple will be greater than before, by describing the function of regular priests in similar terms to the High Priest.
The Idea of Shabbat in the Book of Yechezkel
Dr. Tova Ganzel | Hour and 8 minutes
What is the status of Shabbat observance during the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and the Babylonian exile? This shiur traces the records of Shabbat observance in the Tanakh, and particularly in the book of Yechezkel, and highlights the crucial nature of Shabbat - its desecration ultimately lead to the destruction, and its observance signifies the eternal relationship between God and Israel.
Yehezkel 7-8
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
In perek 7 the prophecy is directed at the land of Israel and focuses on the violence that fills the land and with a description of the end and destruction that will follow as its consequence. This is a continuation of the previous prophecy to the mountains of Israel concerning the sin of idolatry. This prophecy contains phrases from the portion of disasters in Sefer Vayikra and for the first time in this sefer, the destruction of the Temple is mentioned. The first part of the prophecy (1-9) contains two parallel sections and describes the end that will be visited on the land. Beginning with pasuk 10, the process of destruction is described: the disruption of the way of life (12-13), the horrors of siege and war (14-15), refugees and grief (16-19), and finally the destruction of the Temple by the enemies (20-22). This prophecy is characterized by the repetition of words, ideas, and even entire phrases.

Perakim 8-11 describe Yehezkel's prophetic visit to Jerusalem. God's hand lifts Yehezkel while he sits with the elders of Judah, and he is taken in a vision to Jerusalem and exposed step-by-step to the great abominations being committed in the Temple, acts that will ultimately bring about its destruction.
The Vision of the Future Temple
Part 1 - The Temple with God’s Glory in Its Midst
Dr. Tova Ganzel
The final nine chapters of Sefer Yechezkel set forth a vision of the future Temple. These chapters are rich in detail about the dimensions of the building, the various sacrifices, land inheritances, and more.

It is not coincidental that Yechezkel’s prophecy about the future Temple comes now, a point when the nation has become accustomed to the reality of life in exile, without an active Jewish center in the land. In their new reality, the exiles are left uncertain about their future and their status.

The detailed but opaque description of the future Beit HaMikdash carries a dual – and indeed self-contradictory – message: on one hand, the Mikdash is presented as something concrete and real; on the other, it cannot actually be built, at least not at this stage.

The prophet describes the return of God’s glory to the Temple, creating an exalting sense of God’s complete presence, followed by a harsh description of the sins that led to the destruction of the Mikdash and the departure of God’s presence. The sudden fall from such lofty exaltation to such depths seems to reflect the fact that one of the conditions for the return of God’s glory to the Temple is that “the house of Israel will no more profane My holy Name”.
The Vision of the Future Temple
Part 2 - More Concealment than Revelation
Dr. Tova Ganzel
The description of the Temple and the city, has some concrete and precise elements, but at the very same time, lacks some very central details.

According to Yehezkel's prophecy, the changes in this Temple include not only the outer structure of the edifice, but also fundamental difference in who enters it. This change relates both to the measure of access afforded the people, but also the division of roles among the various leaders of the nation, and the degree to which they are connected to the Temple.

The impression arising from Yehezkel’s prophecy is that the Temple is not a spiritual center for the entire nation. The Temple serves the kohanim and leviim, who perform their service within it as representatives of the people, while the only roles that are given to the people are the auxiliary functions and appearances: funding of the sacrifices, prostration, and a partial view of the Divine service.
The Concluding Chapters of Yehezkel
Dr. Tova Ganzel
The first part of Chapter 45 deals with the division of the land among the tribes of Israel. But the division here is fundamentally different to that familiar to us: the one dating to the period when the land was originally settled. This new division apparently serves two different purposes. First, the placement of the Levite inheritance between the inheritance of the other tribes and the Temple is meant to prevent the Temple from being defiled. In addition, this new arrangement will prevent the office-bearers from being dependent, to some extent, on the people – a situation which in the past had led to the misuse of the leaders’ power.

There are some significant discrepancies between the laws that Yehezkel sets down and the laws of the Torah, specifically in the area of Korbanot. It is difficult to characterize all the differences between the sacrifices set down in the Torah and those we encounter in Yechezkel’s prophecy. However, the changes to the sacrifices listed in Yechezkel should be viewed as part of a broader totality of change, including a new order of leadership with the aim of preventing a repetition of the catastrophe of the departure of the Divine Presence and the subsequent destruction of the Temple.

The changes extend from the Temple itself to Jerusalem and to the other parts of the country: the city becomes shared by all the tribes of Israel, and the land is divided among the tribes in an egalitarian manner. This redivision of the inheritances will help to reduce antagonism among the tribes, and perhaps help to prevent oppression and theft, since these, too, were among the reasons for God’s departure from the Temple in the past.

Chapter 47 offers a surprising turning-point in the vision of the future Temple. The prophet speaks here neither of the structure nor of the order of service, but rather describes a wondrous stream that emerges from the entrance to God’s House and flows all the way to the Arava. Although Yechezkel has distanced the people from anything connected to the Temple, now he is also creating a Divine connection with the people that has never existed before.

The wondrous river that appears at the end of the Sefer seems to be a way of bringing the Sanctuary into the very midst of the people more than ever before: through connecting with the miraculous abundance and healing forces of the river, powers not found in the usual course of nature.

It turns out that in order to heal the people, the prophet foresees a fissure in the regular order of nature. Beyond purification - a necessary condition for the revival of the people in the future - there will also be possible forms of healing that pass through the Sanctuary, but that do not require the people to approach.

Now we see that the healing properties of the river in fact have the wondrous ability to repair the flaws that caused the Destruction. The distancing of the people from the Temple turns out to be a physical measure that does not reflect any spiritual distancing: God connects the people to the Temple by means of the river that flows from the very midst of the House, notwithstanding the geographical distance.

So it turns out that ultimately the bond between God and His people is not only renewed unilaterally by God; but the entire nation is part of the process as they are nourished, by the river from the Temple, more directly than ever before.
Yehezkel 40-41
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
Perek 40 begins the last section of the book, which deals with the vision of the future temple and the borders of the land inheritances of the tribes after the redemption. In perakim 40-42 we find a description of Yechezkel's visionary tour through the temple "in the visions of God", which parallels the tour described in the first section of the book, in perakim 8-11. While the first tour is meant to demonstrate to the prophet the sins which defiled the temple and caused the Shechina (spirit of God) to leave and the destruction of the temple, here the tour is meant to herald the return of the Shechina to the temple, and the rebuilding of the temple in the future. The unique characteristics of the future temple embody the trend of repair and sanctification as compared to the first temple which was defiled and destroyed.

The vision opens with an introduction which describes the time setting of the vision and the encounter with the man (40:1-4). This is followed by the man and Yechezkel beginning to tour the wall which surrounds the temple through the eastern gate, the hall (ulam) of the gate and the cells on the sides of the gate (5-16), and entering the outer court (17-27). In the next stage he enters the inner court and its various gates (28-37), sees the tables and other implements in the court for the purpose of the sacrifices (38-43) and the chambers of the priests in the inner court (44-46). Subsequently, Yechezkel enters the temple and sees the hall of the temple, the inner temple and the holy of holies (40:47-41:26).
Yehezkel 42-43
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
In perek 42 Yechezkel continues his tour of the future temple, and returns to the outer court after his visit to the holy sanctuary. In pesukim 1-14 the tour of the northern and southern chambers is described, and in pesukim 15-20 Yechezkel goes out onto the temple mount and sees its measurements and the wall which surrounds it.

In perek 43 the vision of the future temple comes to its climax with the return of the Glory of God to the temple through the eastern gate through which it left in perek 11. Just as the first tour of the temple ends with the Spirit of God leaving the temple, so too the tour of the future temple ends with the return of the Spirit of God to the temple. In the second half of the perek, (13-27), the dimensions of the altar and the dedication of the altar are described. This section is a connecting link between the description of the temple and its dimensions and the laws of the temple and the priests which will be described in the coming perakim.
Yehezkel 44-45
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
Perek 44: Having finished prophesying about the structure and measurements of the temple, Yechezkel turns to discuss the ritual order which will be in the future temple. The perek begins with the instruction that the Eastern Gate should remain closed (1-3). The majority of the perek is dedicated to the laws of the Priests and their work. First, aliens are distanced from the temple, and the Levites who have sinned are separated from the priests, the sons of Tzadok, who remained loyal to God. Afterward the laws of the priests, which reflect the change in the status of the priests, are given in detail.

Following the laws of the priests in perek 44 and the offerings to the priests in the end of the perek, Yechezkel turns in perek 45 to a different type of offering: the offerings of the land (1-8). This offering is a part of the process of redividing the land which will be described in detail in perek 48, and is a continuation of the process of repair and protection which will take place in the future temple.
Yehezkel 45-46
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
Central to perakim 45 and 46 are the roles of the prince among the people and in the temple, which are part of the process of renewal and repair in the future temple. The laws of the prince in these perakim reflect the complex status of the king- the king's honor and exalted status on the one hand, and the balances and limits which are meant to emphasize his subordination to God and the Torah on the other hand. This change was meant to prevent the king from taking advantage of the people, as was prevalent in the time of the First Temple. One expression of this change is Yechezkel's use of the term "prince" (in Hebrew, Nasi) in place of "king".

Perek 46 continues to deal with the laws of the prince. the perek begins with the sacrifices of the prince and his roles on Rosh Chodesh and Shabbat (1-15). It continues with the laws of transfer of property by inheritance from the prince (16-18). These end the listing of laws for the prince. The perek ends with the completion of Yechezkel's tour in the Temple- in the cooking places (19-24). Here, too, we see the trend of additional sanctification in the separation of the cooking places of the priests in the inner court, where the sacred meats are cooked, from the cooking places of the Levites in the corners of the outer court, where the sacrifices of the people are cooked, which are at a lower level of sanctity.